Designer Ilse Crawford of London-based practice Studioilse has unveiled the renovation of the Restaurant Savoy in Helsinki. Established in 1937, the culinary institution features a sleek, updated layout that better complements its internal proportions, which were originally crafted by legendary architects Alvar and Aino Aalto.
Reinterpreting the interior through a more contemporary lens, Crawford used archival imagery and the Aalto’s sketches to reimagine the space. Artek restored and reupholstered many of the restaurant’s original Scandinavian furnishings, and oak and birch surfaces infuse a sense of warmth into the space. Additional subtle interventions manifest in upgraded joinery and new wood paneling for enhanced acoustics.
“Savoy needed a bit of repair and a bit of love, but it didn’t need reinventing,” says Crawford.
